Transtail Artery Hepatic Artery Catheterization In Rats Under Direct Vision: A Radiation-Free Method For Establishing Animal Models.
Y, F., L, Y., S, L., B, Z., H, Y., Z, Z., D, Z., L, Y., & Z, J. (2026). Transtail Artery Hepatic Artery Catheterization In Rats Under Direct Vision: A Radiation-Free Method For Establishing Animal Models.. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE. https://doi.org/10.3791/70629
Y F, L Y, S L, B Z, H Y, Z Z, et al. Transtail Artery Hepatic Artery Catheterization In Rats Under Direct Vision: A Radiation-Free Method For Establishing Animal Models.. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE. 2026; doi: 10.3791/70629
Y F, L Y, S L, et al. Transtail Artery Hepatic Artery Catheterization In Rats Under Direct Vision: A Radiation-Free Method For Establishing Animal Models.[J]. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE. 2026. DOI: 10.3791/70629.
@article{y2026,
author = {Fu Y and Yao L and Lei S and Zhang B and Yang H and Zheng Z and Zhang D and Yang L and Ji Z},
title = {Transtail Artery Hepatic Artery Catheterization In Rats Under Direct Vision: A Radiation-Free Method For Establishing Animal Models.},
journal = {Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.3791/70629},
note = {PMID: 42296124},
}
TY - JOUR AU - Fu Y AU - Yao L AU - Lei S AU - Zhang B AU - Yang H AU - Zheng Z AU - Zhang D AU - Yang L AU - Ji Z TI - Transtail Artery Hepatic Artery Catheterization In Rats Under Direct Vision: A Radiation-Free Method For Establishing Animal Models. T2 - Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE PY - 2026 DO - 10.3791/70629 AN - PMID:42296124 ER -
Rat liver tumor models are indispensable for studying trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE), drug delivery, and tumor biology. However, conventional techniques utilizing fluoroscopy-guided carotid or femoral access are often constrained by high equipment costs, technical complexity, and cumulative radiation risks to operators. This protocol presents a radiation-free alternative using open-laparotomy-guided transtail artery catheterization. We provide a comprehensive, step-by-step description of the procedure, beginning with standardized anesthesia and exposure of the ventral caudal artery (VCA). The core of the technique involves performing a midline laparotomy to enable direct visualization of the hepatoduodenal anatomy, allowing for the precise advancement of a 1.6 Fr microcatheter into the common hepatic artery (CHA) or proper hepatic artery (PHA) using a 0.014-inch microguidewire. Our validation study in 32 rats demonstrates that this method achieves a high technical success rate of 96.9% (31/32) with a mean procedure time of 22.5 ± 2.3 min. This technique provides an accessible, reproducible, and transparent platform for laboratories focusing on localized therapeutic evaluation and embolic biology. This method effectively lowers the barrier for establishing high-quality interventional models in preclinical research environments where advanced imaging is unavailable.